Telephone booth



May 12, 1942- F. s. CORSO 2,282,394

TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed June 27, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 12, 1942. F. s. CORSO TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed June 27, 1939 4 sheets-'sheet 2 .lli

/N VE N TOR F By .5. CORSO UO- A TTOR/VE Y May l2, 1942. l F, Q CCR5() 2,282,394

Filed June 27, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 F. .SCO/QSO BY A TTORNEV V O w l 4 4 RS om 9 t MR m N0 r mw m WC. c A 2 q NS. m Y0U. 4 B

F. S. CORSO TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed June 27, 1939 May 12, 1942.

Patented May 12, 1942 UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 27, 1939, Serial No. 281,347

8 Claims.

This invention relates to telephone booths and more particularly to atype of telephone booth known as a stall.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of such a booth.

In accordance with this invention, a telephone booth is provided in which the walls are formed of a number of sections, each section comprising two plates having peripherally disposed rim portions interengaging each other for housing a pad of sound-absorbing material, the plate which is placed inward of the booth in each section being provided with perforations so as to permit the passing of sound waves therethrough to be absorbed by the sound-proong material, thus preventing the reverberation of the sound waves in the booth and its resulting interference to telephone conversations.

Means in the form of a frame structure is provided for mounting the wall sections in assembled relation to each other, the frame structure having a plurality of corner posts which cooperate with bars of angular cross-section to form clamping means for securing the wall sections in assembled relation on the frame, the corner posts at the front of the booth comprising moldings which form the entrance of the booth. Means carried by the frame at the top of the booth is provided for supporting a ceiling having a perforated plate disposed inwardly of the booth,

such ceiling having a peripherally disposed rim serving for maintaining the sound-proong material on the perforated plate. A second plate secured to the frame structure in superposed relation to the ceiling performs the function of a roof for the booth While increasing the rigidity of the frame structure at this end of the booth,

the roof and the ceiling of the booth cooperating with a plate disposed at the top of the booth to form with a partition a plurality of compartments for mounting a lighting xture serving for lighting the interior of the booth and for housing telephone substation apparatus, while the plate which forms the roof of the booth serves for mounting outlet boxes for the light circuit and the telephone line connections. A plurality of means carried by one of the corner posts serve for securing a combined support and shelf unit, the support being provided for receiving a telephone apparatus of the coin collector type in superposed relation to the shelf.

Other novel features of the invention will appear from the following description and by the claims appended thereto, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an assembly View of the booth of the invention shown in perspective,Y the booth being shown in position in a recess formed in the wall of a structure;

Fig. 2 is a front assembly View;

Fig. 3 is a top view shown partly in section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a partial view shown in section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a partial View shown in section taken on line E-B of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a partial View shown in section taken on line '1 -1 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a partial View of the interior of the booth seen from line 8--8 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged partial View shown'in section taken along line 9-9 of Fig, 2;

Fig. 10 is a View of two wall sections shown in perspective, one of the sections having a number of parts shown with portions cut away;

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of one of the front corner posts showing spacer members welded thereto and a number of cooperating parts with portions broken away;

Fig. 12 is a perspective View of one of the rear corner posts showing spacer members welded thereto and a number of cooperating parts with portions broken away;

Fig. 13 is a View of the lower portion of the rear corner post shown with portions of two wall sections in assembled relation thereon; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective View of the telephone support and shelf unit.

Referring to the drawings, the side Walls and the rear wall are each preferably formed of two independent rectangularly-shaped sections as A and B shown in Fig. 10 and each section consists of a sheet metal box-like member X and a perforated sheet metal cover Y for the box-like member X, the container thus formed serving for housing a pad P of sound-absorbing material, such as rock-wool, lined adjacent the sheet metal cover Y with a annel wrapping WZ. The wall sections thus formed are mounted in assembled relation on a frame comprising two similar front corner posts FC and FCI shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 11 and `two similar rear corner posts CP and CPI shown in enlarged view in Figs. 12 and 13.

Each of the rear corner posts CP and CPI is formed of a metal strip bent lengthwise at right angles at a number of places to form cooperating portions for receiving at their top ends, the ends of a U-shaped spacer member S2 at the rear of the booth and the similarly disposed ends of two spacer members SI at the right and left top sides of the booth, the other ends of spacer members SI being secured as by welding to the front corner posts FC and FCI as shown in Figs. 9 and 11.

The front corner posts FC and FCI are held in spaced relation to each other on the front side of the booth by a substantially U-shaped channel member SM having its ends bent at right angles relative to its length for welding to a substantially S-shaped angle piece SP best shown in Figs. and 11 at points I, 2 and 3, the angle pieces SP being in turn welded at its ends to two double angle pieces UI forming part of the front corner posts FC and FC I.

The front corner posts FC and FCI include, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 11, the angle pieces UI, the strips U2 which are welded to the `angle pieces UI along their longitudinal edges as at point 4 and moldings U3 being welded along the longitudinal edges of angle pieces UI and strips U2 at point 5 and point 6. (Fig. V5.)

The corner posts CP and CPI thus formed are held in spaced relation at their rear lower ends relative to each other by a bar a2 of angular cross-section welded to these corner posts at points tI and t2 and to reenforcing angle pieces bz and brl as shown in Figs. 3, 7, 12 and 13 as at points ar and a5.

The lower ends of rear corner posts CP and CPI are held in spaced relation to the front corner posts FC and FCI by similar bars a6 and a1 secured to the rear corner posts in the manner described in connection with bar a2, the other ends of bars a6 and a1 being secured to the double angle pieces UI of the front corner posts FC and FCI by welding as at points a1 I, shown in Fig. 11 and to angle pieces 68 at point a8 While the angle pieces 6G are welded to the angle pieces UI at points a9.

The wall sections A and B formed by the boxlike members X and Y are held in place in the frame thus formed by the clamping action of a plurality of bars, such as BSI, BS2, BSB and BS4 shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 and 13 of angular cross-section secured to the corner posts CP, CPI, FC and FCI.

To the two side spacer members SI at the top end of the booth and to the rear side spacer member S2 there is secured, as by welding, a plu--y rality of angle-shaped brackets shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 12. provided for securing a ceiling ci for the booth as by a number of screws 22, this ceiling comprising a perforated plate 23, a peripheral rim member 24 and a pad 26 of sound-absorbing material, as rock-wool, enclosed in a ilannel wrapping 25 best seen in Fig. 9.

On the rear disposed spacer S2 at the top of the booth and to the two side spacers SI is secured, as by screws 30, a roof in the form of a rectangularly-shaped plate 3I and to the front edge of ceiling ci there are secured, as by screws 21, two rectangularly-shaped plates 28 and 34 shown in Figs.,2, 8 and 9, disposed obliquely relative to the plane of ceiling ci, while the similarly disposed edges of the plates 28 and 34 engage similar hook-shaped members, as 29, shown in Figs. 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11 which are Welded to the lower disposed edge portion of the U-shaped channel-shaped spacer member SM. The space formed by plate 3I, the front spacer member SM, the plates 28 and 34 and the adjacent rim 24 of ceiling ci is divided into two compartments 32 and 33, Fig. 8, by a partition 35 welded at points O and OI to thetop disposed edge of spacer members SM and to a diagonal flange SDF formed with this partition are secured, by screws 36 and 31, the adjacently disposed ends of plates 28 and 34, while two angle pieces O2 and O3 have one of their sides welded to plates 28 and 34 and their other sides secured to the front corner posts FC and FCI by screws SRW and SRWI respectively, thus making possible the removal of plates 28 and 34 by the simple removal of screws 21 along the front edge of ceiling 23, the removal of screws 36 and 31 holding the adjacent edges of these plates to the partition 35, and the removal from the interior of the booth of the screws SRW and SRWI engaging the corner posts FCI and FC, respectively, which as above mentioned are used for securing the angle pieces O2 and O3 to these corner posts as best seen in Figs. 8

and 9.

The plate 28 is provided with an opening fitted with a door 38 shown in Figs. 8 and 9, hinged at 39 and 40, while a lock 4I is provided for securing the door in closed position as shown in Fig. 8;`

The door 38 is provided with a translucent domeshaped glass 42 for admitting the light into the booth as generated by a lamp 43 placed in a metallic reector 44 supported by a bracket 45 welded to the front spacer member SM and to this bracket is mounted a socket for the lamp 43 and the terminals 46 and 41 for securing the conductors W and WI, the other ends of which are secured to the incoming wires of the armored cable 48 terminating in the outlet box 49.

To the front spacer member SM in compartment 34 there is welded a pair of angle pieces 50 and 5I, shown in Fig. l1, provided for securely mounting a casing 62 for housing telephone substation apparatus connecting to the incoming line wires in armored cable WAC and by wires 53 to terminals in an outlet box 54 secured to the roof plate 3|.

A triangularly-shaped sheet metal support 55 shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 14 is welded at its lower end to a shelf 51 to form therewith a unit structure which is secured as by a number of screws SCR to one of the corner posts as CP, the screws SCR threadedly engaging the reenforcing strips 10 and 1I which are welded to the corner post CP, while one of the sides of the triangularlyshaped support serves for mounting the telephone apparatus in the form of a coin collector box 56 in the booth, the wires from the substation apparatus box 62 being led into the space formed by the corner post CP through an opening in the sheet metal support 55 and hence to the interior of the coin collector box 56.

The telephone booth thus formed as shown in Fig. 4 rests on an angle piece 60 anchored in the concrete Ct, while a metallic strip 6I is screwed to the two side walls and to the rear wall of the booth and to the angle piece 68 by a plurality of screws 62.

A plate 63 shown in Figs. 1, 2., 3, 4 and 9 extending across the booth at the top end thereof serves as a complemental section for the molding portions of the two front corner posts FC and FCLthis plate being secured along its longitudinal edges by a number of screws 15 to a bar 64, Figs. 4 and 9, of angular cross-section embedded in the concrete Ct and to the spacer member SM at the front top end of the booth.

It is obvious that theinvention may be used in the construction of full length telephone booths having cross-sections representing any geometrical figure or any combinations of such figures and that many changes may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone booth, a frame consisting of a plurality of corner posts, a plurality of spacer members secured to said corner posts for holding them in angular spaced relation to each other at the upper end of the booth, other spacer members for holding said corner posts in spaced relation to each other at their lower ends to form a frame of unit structure, side walls and a rear wall mounted on said frame and removable independently therefrom and from each other, two of said corner posts having molding members cooperating with one of said spacer members to form the booth entrance, a ceiling, means carried by the first-mentioned spacer members for securing said ceiling thereto, a rim element cooperating with said ceiling to form a container, sound-proofing material in said container, and a roof mounted on said spacer members at the top end of the booth adjacent the edge of said rim.

2. A telephone booth consisting of two side walls, a rear wall, a ceiling and a roof, a frame having supporting members for said ceiling and said roof, two of said supporting members forming the entrance of the booth, a spacer member for the last-mentioned supports, means for securing each of said walls, said ceiling and roof in assembled relation in said frame, said walls and spacer member cooperating with said roof to form a chamber inward of the booth at the top front side thereof, a rectangularly-shaped plate having one of its longitudinal edges secured to said ceiling forming one wall of said chamber and a lighting xture for the booth mounted in said chamber.

3. In a telephone booth, a rectangularly-shaped frame of unit structure comprising a pair of rear corner posts, a pair of front corner posts, spacer members for holding the rearr corner posts in spaced relation to each other and in spaced relation to the front corner posts and another spacer member for holding the iront corner posts at the top end of the booth in spaced relation to each other, the front corner posts having molding portions forming the entrance of the booth, and a plate secured to the last-mentioned spacer member forming the complemental portion of each of the molding portions included in the front corner posts.

4. A telephone booth consisting of two side walls, a rear wall, a ceiling and a roof, corner posts, spacer members secured to said corner posts at the top and bottom ends thereof to form a frame of unit structure, a plurality of box-like elements and covers for said elements fitted into said frame to form the walls of said booth, means secured to said corner posts and to a number oi said spacer members for holding said walls in assembled relation on said frame, and sound-absorbing material housed in said box-like elements.

5. In a telephone booth, a frame consisting of corner posts and spacer members secured to said corner posts, two side walls, a rear wall, a ceiling and a roof secured to said frame, a plate secured at its longitudinal edges to one of said spacer members, and to said ceiling for cooperation therewith and with said roof to form a casing of substantially triangular cross-section at the said front, top end of the booth and a lighting nature housed in said casing.

6. A telephone booth having two side walls, a rear wall, a ceiling and a roof, a frame comprising a plurality of corner posts and a plurality of spacer members secured at their ends to said corner posts, means for securing said ceiling at a number of its peripheral edges to means carried by the sides and rear disposed spacer member and the peripheral edges of said roof to the sides, the rear and the front of said spacer members at the top end of the booth, a rim element mounted on said ceiling forming therewith a container, sound-proong material in said container, a plate secured along its longitudinal edges to the spacer member and to the corner posts at the front of the booth and to one edge of said ceiling, said plate cooperating with said rim, said roof and the front disposed spacer member to form a casing at the top end of the booth, and electrical apparatus housed in said casing.

7. A telephone booth having two side walls, a rear wall, a ceiling and a roof, a frame, means for securing said side walls, said rear wall, said ceiling and said roof in assembled relation on said frame, a rim element mounted on said ceiling and cooperating therewith to form a container, sound-proong material in said container, two of said corner posts forming the entrance of the booth, a plate secured along one of two parallel edges to the front disposed edge of said ceiling, and the other of said parallel edges engaging means carried by one of said spacer members, said plate cooperating with said rirn element, said roof and the last-mentioned spacer member to form a casing, electric apparatus housed in said casing, said plate being removable to give access to said casing from the interior of the booth, the spacer members at the sides and the rear of the booth registering with ledges located above the iioor level a distance substantially one-third the height of the booth, and means for securing said booth in adjusted position on said ledges.

8. A telephone booth having two side walls, a rear wall, a ceiling and a roof, a frame of unit structure for mounting said side walls, said rear wall, said ceiling and said roof, said frame comprising a plurality of corner posts and a plurality of spacer members, four of said spacer members forming the top end of said frame, three of said spacer members forming the lower end of said frame, one of said spacer members at the top end of the booth in cooperation with two of said corner posts forming the entrance of the booth, said side walls and said rear wall consisting of a plurality of interfitting independent box-like and cover elements having soundproofing material therein, means for securing said side walls and said rear wall in assembled relation on said frame, said frame at its lower end registering with ledges on the side and rear wall of a recess, said ledges being located above the licor ,level of the structure in which the recess is formed a distance substantially one third the height of the booth and a metallic strip secured to said ledges and to said spacer members at the lower end of the booth interiorly thereof.

FRANK S. CORSO. 

